Federal govt announces ‘discount’ on toll tax for M-Tag vehicles

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan said that M-Tag is being promoted by providing special discounts to vehicles with M-Tag in toll tax.

Speaking to a Senate Standing Committee on Communications meeting chaired by Pervez Rasheed, the federal minister said that special discount to M-Tag holders will reduce congestion at toll plazas.

Abdul Aleem Khan informed the committee that 42 percent of the country’s road network is in Balochistan, but unfortunately, there is not a single toll plaza there.

Furthermore, he informed that Gilgit-Baltistan has 900 kilometers of roads with only one toll plaza which hampers the plans to repair and improve the roads.

He said that last year, a toll tax of Rs. 60 billion was collected on highways and motorways, which will now be increased to more than Rs. 100 billion.

The committee was informed that there are 38 million vehicles in the country, of which 70 percent are motorcycles. There are 2.7 million large vehicles, of which 70 percent are old.